I started this blog in 2009 to document what I ate, what I read, and how much I ran leading up to the NYC marathon. While I did manage to drag myself over the finish line, I have since decided I am not a marathon runner. I have also decided that while running, food, and reading are no longer the centre of my life, they remain an integral part of helping me centre and appreciate my life. They help me realize that it's not that serious...

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Friday, August 21, 2009

72 Days to NYC

Theme of the day: Pick your own

Running:

Rest day. But I was still did a bit of running if you consider frolicking through fields of blueberry and raspberry bushes with Maya, where we ate more than we picked, running. Other than that, we also took a hike through the woods of Thornbury and I vacuummed (is that any way to spend a vacation?) and then finally a steam (actually is was just an indoor pool but it was the hottest, most humid indoor pool area I have ever experienced.)

Recipe:

Not really a remarkable dinner in terms of what I made, but exceptionally remarkable in terms of what Mother Nature is capable of. Ate corn on the cob that had been picked less than 12 hours earlier and salad made from a head of locally grown lettuce. And by locally grown, I mean from my backyard. Yup, that's right. The very first head of lettuce I grew from a seed. Did it taste so sweet and amazing because it was so freshly picked and grown without pesticides or any other artificial help or because I grew it? Either way...

Reading:

Ok. Seriously, I did plan on starting a new book tonight. I even read a few pages as I walked it up to my bedside. It is What I Talk about when I Talk About Running and in the few pages I have read, I can't wait to read more. He really gets what it feels like to be a runner. To love running. So far I have read about the difference between being competitive with others vs. competitive with yourself, which is what I think I am. One trend I have found in my summer reading is that there are so many people out there who think the things I think. And get it. And that is cool (and sort-of a relief).

Unfortunately, an hour or so before bedtime (the kids), the skies grew dark and the most amazing storm took over the GTA. It was the first time in 25 years that environment Canada advised Torontonians to take shelter in the basement or another safe place. And that is exactly what we did. We sat huddled on the couch for an hour watching with fear but mostly fascination as tornadoes ripped through our city. When it was all over, we emerged to survey the damage. Luckily, on our street, the worst thing that happened was a pinwheel blew from one neighbors yard to the next. Even the umbrella over our table in the backyard that someone (I) forgot to close remained unscathed.

Oh Mother Nature, if there is one thing today has taught me, it is how much you should be loved and respected.